How do you keep motivated when you're not losing?

[TitsalinaBumSqoosh]

From Jan 1st I started calorie counting and I have managed to get myself from unfit to running 5k and working out most days.
Although I feel great and my resting heart rate has lowered the scales haven't moved, I understand that I may have lost inches and it's amazing that I'm fitter but it doesn't stop he fact that I'm 3 stone overweight which isn't healthy.
I've just had my plant removed so the constant huger has gone which is great but the scales aren't shifting, I've lost and gained the same pound over and over and I'm feeling a little deflated.

[WelshDutchLady]

Photos, measurements, NSVs (non scale victories) for example making a healthy choice if going out for a meal. As I read recently it takes time to turn round a super tanker (or it does in my case) good luck and stay strong - it sounds like you’ve made an amazing start I wish I could run 5k!

[lurkingfromhome]

I think you need to focus less on the scales and more on the fact that you're eating for health and exercising for health, and your lifestyle is so much better with countless benefits that you just can't see yet, so giving that up would be much much worse than keeping going.

The weight loss will definitely come but for now just think of it more as making major lifestyle changes for health reasons and not specifically for weight-loss ones. Focus on the fact that with your new way of life you're protecting yourself against Type 2 diabetes, many cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis etc etc.

[TitsalinaBumSqoosh]

My heart health was my main focus, we have a family history of heart disease and my Mum had her first heart attack at my age and I have a mild aortic regurgitation so I wanted to combat that so I'm thrilled that my resting heart rate is lowered.
I have had a couple of NSV (filling into a small jacket compared to my usual large) but I am concerned about my weight. I'm only 5ft and I weigh 160lbs!

[JaneEyre70]

Eating anything with sweetener in it seems to really affect my weight loss (hard not to though when you're diabetic!). I find it's best to weigh once a week/fortnight maximum. I've found the scales stick fairly regularly, and taking measurements can help. I've lost 7cms from around my calves, and for the first time in my adult life I've got a pair of knee high boots from Clarks that fit! That was a real moment for me.

[lurkingfromhome]

If you're burning more calories than you eat then the weight loss will come, it's as simple as that. You've only been at it for a month and for some reason some people take ages to lose that first couple of pounds but once you get going it should come off steadily.

The only other thing I can tell you is that weight loss tends to be 80% about diet and only 20% about exercise, largely because it takes a lot of exercise to burn calories (for example running a mile burns off only around 100 calories). But of course exercise speeds up your metabolism and encourages your body to burn calories faster so it's always going to be beneficial. I think though that some people (not you!) eat way too much of all the wrong things but think that going out for a brisk 20-minute walk every day will compensate for it, which of course it doesn't.

[crackerjacket]

I try on a certain pair of jeans or a skirt that i want to fit into.

[iloveruby]

This post is very timely because for the last month of so I've been logging all my food and have hardly lost any weight at all.

To be fair there are days when I have gone over my allocated allowance, but that should still be leading to an overall weight loss.

I've lost 3lbs since the beginning of Jan and was hoping for more like 1/2 stone

What logging food has done though is make me realise just how much I was over eating and begin to help me make better choices.

I guess it is going to take a while and like you I need to not just focus on the scales.

And well done for being able to run 5km!! That is impressive!